Heard about the cruise specials offered from work colleagues .
Had never been on a cruise before and thought this trip would be a good idea. Kids still on nappies can be a problem as such is not catered for. Short cruises tend to be a ... Read More

Heard about the cruise specials offered from work colleagues .
Had never been on a cruise before and thought this trip would be a good idea. Kids still on nappies can be a problem as such is not catered for. Short cruises tend to be a problem as some of the facilities such as the kids day care and activities are only discovered midway through the cruise. Perhaps it would be better if a special invite or mandatory checklist could be given to folks with kids before boarding so they can make the most of this facility.
The process to embark seemed a nightmare especially for people with kids and going through customs. First day boarding, was late due to the ship docking late(weather), however once boarded everyone is directed to one dining hall for lunch with queues of people,which I thought could have been better managed if the other dining halls were functional at the time however considering the late docking perhaps only this hall could be made available considering the short time.
There were four jacuzzi's on board which are hogged by a select few. Rather have a time period for use of facilities so more people can enjoy the facilities ( better policing)
Facilities such as the steam room also come with an extra charge.
Inability to accommodate requests at the buffet area -especially disappointing for those who don't like their eggs sunny side up or half raw or those who refrain from eating pork/beef.
Pros
The abundance in entertainment ; facilities and shopping was well Read Less

Entertainment & Activities:
We really thought that due to the fact that the ship is called the Musica, it will be a cruise full of music and entertainment. You can't compare the entertainment of the Musica with that of the ... Read More

Entertainment & Activities:
We really thought that due to the fact that the ship is called the Musica, it will be a cruise full of music and entertainment. You can't compare the entertainment of the Musica with that of the Sinfonia. On our Sinfonia trip the Entertainment team kept us busy throughout the day and night especially on the deck area. Even the kids entertainment were a lot better on the Sinfonia as well as the kiddies pool area.
The transfer to the Island was very slow compared to our previous trip, it took forever to get everybody there and back again. However, the beach lunch was very nice and we enjoyed the time on the island. We were very disappointed when the Pomene stop was cancelled as we have booked this trip especially due to the fact that it would include a second island excursion.
Maintenance & Service:
There were a lot of broken chairs on the deck which was never removed but just kept in the corner. Tables were also not cleaned properly and timeously. The one day they actually renovated one of the bars on the deck so you could not utilise it, surely they could have done scheduled maintenance work when the boat was not on a trip. Furthermore, various toilets got blocked during the trip and then left unattended for people to continue using them and eventually it would overflow and then the floor would be full of urine.
Room service was also poor as on both the occasions that we have order coffee and tea for our cabins, it was either an incorrect order or the coffee containers were empty.
I also feel that they take very long to clean up the rooms, even by 14:00 the rooms was still not services. The second day on the ship our room was not cleaned at all because when they wanted to clean late in the afternoon, our daughter was taking her nap.
Dining:
We did not go for dinner at the formal restaurant as on the previous trip, we experienced the fact that you are put on a table with complete strangers and then basically forced to rush your meal so that they can clean up for the next dinner sitting. We had our meals at the cafeteria which was average as their is not a lot of variety on the dishes served each day. I can also recall that the 24 hour meals were of better quality and variety on the Sinfonia. Read Less

I traveled with my 84 year old mother, as a cruise has been on her bucket list for a very long time and having been ill with cancer for 3 years and a recent stroke we decide the cruise was now or never. Unfortunately we were not aware ... Read More

I traveled with my 84 year old mother, as a cruise has been on her bucket list for a very long time and having been ill with cancer for 3 years and a recent stroke we decide the cruise was now or never. Unfortunately we were not aware that it was a predominately Afrikaans cruise and that the entertainment would only be in Afrikaans! Very disappointing as she was looking forward to seeing a show whilst on board. But we decided to make the best of it and spent time in the casino and watched a number of singers in the various bars.
We completed the special needs form and requested priority boarding so that my mother would not have to stand for long periods of time (she relies on a four wheeled walker.) Our embarkation was handled very professionally, was quick and simple and the staff were very friendly.
If you are a big eater you can eat 24/7 in the various restaurants and cafeteria's . Food is produced for the masses, we are not big carb eaters so avoided the pizza, pasta, breads, chips, hamburgers and hotdogs and opted for salads and the limited veggies. The juice station was very welcome in the morning, however paying over $5 for a small freshly squeezed juice was over the top! Dinner at night was a set menu with a couple of choices, again very limited veggies but the kingklip was delicious.
The entertainment crew (unfortunately we only saw them on the final day of the cruise) were great fun and had my mother "dancing" to Michael Jackson. They were respectful of her age but had her having fun and I'm sure they are a huge asset to the cruise when not occupied by Afrikaans singers.
Would I go again? Unfortunately I don't think my mother would be in a fit enough condition to do it again (she felt very unsteady when the weather was bad) I would be willing to go again but definitely not on a themed cruise. Read Less

THE GOOD - The cruise director Eric was fantastic, the best one I've seen on my 20+ cruises. He was funny, informative, lively and made the cruise enjoyable. The main dining room was excellent, consistent great and friendly service ... Read More

THE GOOD - The cruise director Eric was fantastic, the best one I've seen on my 20+ cruises. He was funny, informative, lively and made the cruise enjoyable. The main dining room was excellent, consistent great and friendly service from Yuriy & Collins, great food and an oasis away from the crappy service elsewhere on the ship. The shows were very well done and entertaining. The ports were like nothing I've seen elsewhere, the way MSC have created the beach resort like areas in well worth the trip. Taking the buffet to the port was also very well done. Our cabin steward on the first day wasn't very friendly, however that night he did apologize and everything was perfect after that.
THE BAD - The service from the staff just about everywhere else on the ship was very poor. They were unfriendly, barely spoke even when we spoke to them, were very task orientated. When I asked questions they gave the answer that they thought would get me away the quickest, rather than what would actually be helpful. For example, I asked to buy a power adapter at a shop. I was told there are none in that shop. I asked do any of the other shops sell them. Answer was no. I then said, reception told me last night there were some for sale, all of a sudden he knew exactly where one for sale. Reception, the voyager club desk and several other places did the similar things.
Embarkation day was by far the worst I've ever experienced by a mile. You joined this line and slowly moved in that line for 2 hours before reaching the ship. Every possible task you could think of was broken down into a section you had to pass while remaining in the line. And when you finally got to the ship, the line continued past every possible thing they could sell you. The safety drill was 750 odd people packed into a room, most already wearing their life jackets. A staff member yelled out "You put the life jacket over your head and strap it around you like this" and that was it, the safety drill was finished.
THE UGLY - Hygiene, health and safety didn't appear to be of much concern. People were smoking and vaping all over the ship. Barely any passengers where using the hand sanitizer before entering the buffet and more people used their hands taking food (and occasionally putting it back) in the buffet than with the utensils. People were filling their used water bottles up at the water stations, picking the ice up with their hands or using the bottle they just sipped from to scoop up the ice. Staff were there, staff saw, staff just didn't care.
THE VERDICT - This was my 4th MSC cruise, my 3rd one was absolutely fantastic. I don't know what it is about MSC, but I really want to like their cruise line. I once went on another cruise line with some pretty good 'bells and whistles', however the absolute poor service has never tempted me to go back. I think the line has so much to offer and there are some pockets on the ship which show they can get it right, but the thing that should be their greatest asset is letting them down. It doesn't take much to answer someone's questions in a helpful manner, it doesn't take much to give a smile when someone thanks you for taking the plate away, rather than look blankly or just ignoring them as if they almost didn't exist. Read Less

We were invited by friends to join them as someone cancelled. We were on the same cruise (Symphony) about 7 years ago as well as a seven night European cruise of which both was exceptional.
We made use of your easy embarkmand wich was ... Read More

We were invited by friends to join them as someone cancelled. We were on the same cruise (Symphony) about 7 years ago as well as a seven night European cruise of which both was exceptional.
We made use of your easy embarkmand wich was worth every sent, disembarkation also went smoothly.
No complaints about the ship and cabin, your staff was very friendly and helpfull, entertainment was great.
Unfortunately I must mention the following.
The ship was not as clean and polished as what we are used to.
The food was a big dissapointment, it's as if you are catering for the masses and there is no care in the preperation, meat was very scarce.
No midnight snacs.
Having to pay a ridiculous fee for ambrelas on Pomene Island was a let down.
Your duty free shopping is "Not" duty free, products can be purchased at our normal stores at a much better price.
We will always promote MSC to friends and family as it is a wonderfull experiance, but I do need to request that your high standards aren't lowered for the South African cruises.
Please note that we did have a lovely time, unfortunately we do need to make you aware of areas which needs improvement.
We hope to one day do your Carribean cruise. Read Less

As it has always been away for me and my late wife to relax and this would jave been our first cruise with our children
Just a pity of the rotten egg smell
On the pool deck suspect it was exhaust fumes other wise the staff and ... Read More

As it has always been away for me and my late wife to relax and this would jave been our first cruise with our children
Just a pity of the rotten egg smell
On the pool deck suspect it was exhaust fumes other wise the staff and food was off grate standard and i would cruise again but not on the musica soly on the issue with the smell on the top deck and that it made me sick .
The transfer and embarkation for children was speedy and good well done msc The shows were grate and the staff looking after the children were awesome they need a grate round of applause .They make it for single parents like me the cruise a bit easier and more relaxing i will do it again with them . Just a pity we could not go to pomene or Portuguese island but im glad to see that the captain has our safety on his mind .to close it off im looking forward to be cruising on the orchestra and hope the experience will be grate . Read Less

My Parents had been on the Symphonia 7years ago, my sister and her husband went on the symphonia 3 years ago. Both parties told fantastic stories to us including the great facilities for children and how the children loved the play areas. ... Read More

My Parents had been on the Symphonia 7years ago, my sister and her husband went on the symphonia 3 years ago. Both parties told fantastic stories to us including the great facilities for children and how the children loved the play areas. My wife and I thus took our daughter this year( and to our misfortune we got the musica and not the symphonia).The musica isnt really equipped to handle small children to the level we were expecting after hearing all the stories. There kids club staff were at times very unhelpful and unwilling with scanning children in or out of the club. The club was closed more times than it was open during the day and we had to go there every 2hours to collect our child. And then wait almost 3hour to drop her of again. Many children did not go back after the first shift and rather ended up looking after themselfs while there parents partied . All that said, the food was fantastic, the staff service was exquisite, the entertainment worldclass but lacking variety became very repetitive. Could not get of on either island and thus can not give any feedback on the islands. Although because of the bad weather my head was still rocking a day after disembarkment Read Less

The Ship is clean at all times.
Balcony cabin was a good choice for us as you could open for fresh air.
Dining was good, but a lack of choice on the menu.
Entertainment was good but I think for some of the activities the wrong ... Read More

The Ship is clean at all times.
Balcony cabin was a good choice for us as you could open for fresh air.
Dining was good, but a lack of choice on the menu.
Entertainment was good but I think for some of the activities the wrong venue was chosen as you cannot stand for 2 hours through a adult games night.
We travelled with children they were not happy so were we, the entertainment for kids are not in sync with adult entertainment, When we couldn't get off the ship due to rough sees their were new entertainment arranged but not kids appropriate, as the movies were not kiddies friendly movies. this was a big issue as what to do with the kids now? if the kids join the kids club later they have to sit on the side and watch what the others do, they dont get pulled into the activities till the end. The baby sitting is nice but very short periods. I will do another cruise but never with kids again as at the end of the day you don't really cater for kids or families and this was during school holidays. Read Less

We saved for a long time for this specific cruise because we wanted to go to Pomene. How disappointing.... For one we only left Dbn habour around 17:00 on the Monday. Then on Tuesday we were told that we will not be going to Pomene after ... Read More

We saved for a long time for this specific cruise because we wanted to go to Pomene. How disappointing.... For one we only left Dbn habour around 17:00 on the Monday. Then on Tuesday we were told that we will not be going to Pomene after all. We went to Portuguese Island...Numerous passengers were very disappointed. Some said it was not the first time that they booked for Pomene and never got to go Pomene. The general feeling on the ship was also that it felt very unorganised. The overall quality of the food was also not good. The buffet restaurant's food was the same every day. Only things that changed was the desserts. The entertainmemt during the day was also very poor. Our cabin was stunning.
MSC's response to my e-mail was basically... sorry for you. You can cleary see that they are just in it for the money and can not care about the actual passengers. Read Less

Embarkation could’ve been better as we waited in a queue for 1h30min to just park the car as they only allowed it from 9. Then we came into the terminal and had taken Easy Onboard but had to still stand in a queue for an hour. The ... Read More

Embarkation could’ve been better as we waited in a queue for 1h30min to just park the car as they only allowed it from 9. Then we came into the terminal and had taken Easy Onboard but had to still stand in a queue for an hour. The terminal was warm and had no air circulation coming in and the fact that there was over 2000 people inside did not help. I would suggest offering water at least. Eventually after an hour the doors opened and the Easy On Board queue was taken inside first (Would recommend this every time). So we went on board and wanted to go have a bite to eat as we where all starving after being hours in queues but to our disapointment it was’nt open. We where meant to leave the port by 16:00 but for some reason we stayed in port till 17:00(We assumed the fact that a lady got asked to leave the ship had something to do with that). Second day when we reveived our little news paper it clearly said Dress Code : Informal only to find out at the dinner table that we where under dressed for the occasion (that sucked as I had bought a new dress and beautiful shoes I wanted to wear to formal night) , must have been a typing error. The show that night was Incredible (WONDERLAND) the entertainment crew was the most amazing on the ship but your bar tenders and some waiters defnitely needs work, they are not friendly at all. The two couple’s that sat next to our table at diner received amazing service from their waiter but the only person that gave us amazing service was our assistant waiter. He defnitely needs a promotion to main waiter. Now we get to the Excursions. What a total let down, firstly I had book our Excursions before we embarked and had saved 20% which was all dandy until we where told that we are unfortunately unable to go to Pomene due to the weather , we went to the excursions desk and where told that all the money was refunded and that we had to re-book our excursions for Portuguese Island but when this was booked it was on the full price instead of our previous rate of 20% off, that is not cool MSC!!!!! We chose the Santa Maria snorkeling which was meant to be a 3hr Excursion (so this is where they catch you out) the boat from the Portuguese island to Inhaca Island takes approximately 15min , then you hop on a bakkie and the drive is a 30min drive ( very bumpy and uncomfortable) when you reach the snorkeling spot you get told that you can only snorkel for 30min before you have to go back! This is not worth the money and not worth us paying extra R500. We also booked the deal where you got Champaign, canapés and fruit in your room, we got that in our room but our family next to us had to call for theirs as they paid for it but did not recive it. Our bar fridge was also locked the whole week and on the last day our room steward came to unlock it only to write that we used water out of the fridge ( How do you use something that had been locked the whole time). We where on the Sinfonia last year and everything was excellent but service on the Musica needs work! Read Less

We flew from Cape Town to Durban early Sunday morning and arrived to beautiful weather in Durban. Our transfers Mzansi Destinations, were waiting to deliver us to our hotel, Belaire Suites (four*). After check in we took a walk along the ... Read More

We flew from Cape Town to Durban early Sunday morning and arrived to beautiful weather in Durban. Our transfers Mzansi Destinations, were waiting to deliver us to our hotel, Belaire Suites (four*). After check in we took a walk along the beach-walk and enjoyed the famous Bunny-Chow. Monday morning our transfers arrived to take us to the port of Durban. Very excited to get to port but when we saw the long ques to traverse the excitement went out the window. Long ques, hot, stuffy terminal and when I got turned back from boarding the ship, my patience was sorely tested. Due to an official error I had to return to the beginning of the line to have my embarkation ticket re-printed. On ship there was nobody to point you in the direction you had to go.
The ship is huge, has many beautiful lounges, our favourite was the Tucano, where we enjoyed the music and drinks.The shows did not live up to my expectation as only the first show impressed with glitz and glamour, the others were dull compared to previous trips with MSC Symphony, Sinfonia 1&2, Opera. Dining was good in the restaurants even after waiting a long time for our meal the first evening. The second dinner was served speedier and we decided to skip the last one and missed Italian Night, because this was not stipulated in the daily program.
The cabin was always beautifully cleaned when we came back to it, but on the day before last nobody could use the toilets, as they were all blocked, all over the ship, not just our cabin. This was only remedied late in the day.
I loved going to Pomene Island because we got our tickets before breakfast and arrived very early on the island. The previous day we were not wise enough to collect our ticket early and arrived on the island around lunch time. Most of lunch had run out already and we had to make do with the left-overs. But we enjoyed the sea which was beautifully calm and the sand hot.
I would go again on the Musica, especially to the islands, but I felt as if the ship was over-booked and there was too little control over the crowd. Read Less

Have been on 3 previous cruises, Symphony and Opera and wanted to share this with my fiance. The level of service have definitely decreased and on the Sunday you just feel as if they want you off the ship. The balcony cabin was nice but ... Read More

Have been on 3 previous cruises, Symphony and Opera and wanted to share this with my fiance. The level of service have definitely decreased and on the Sunday you just feel as if they want you off the ship. The balcony cabin was nice but the floor was broken in front of the sliding door - did report this. No beach towels in the cabin and what a mission to get some! The food was great except for Sunday lunch where they didn't have enough food, the space was far to little and the restaurant was dirty. Not an enjoyable experience at all. On a positive note, the shows were fantastic and every night just got better. The food in the evening restaurants were also very nice and a great experience. It is a pity that the top deck of the ship can only be accessed if you pay. On the island you also had to pay if you wanted a lounger, seems that money is now the main object for MSC. Read Less

Firstly the embarkation took 2 hrs. It was hot and stuffy in that hall. The staff at the front desk on the ship were very unfriendly. The gentleman cleaning the cabins, had no respect for our Privacy!!
He sees me at my door and says he ... Read More

Firstly the embarkation took 2 hrs. It was hot and stuffy in that hall. The staff at the front desk on the ship were very unfriendly. The gentleman cleaning the cabins, had no respect for our Privacy!!
He sees me at my door and says he will bring my towel a little later. I was lying on the bed. He opened the door, than knocked and said hello. I was very upset!!
Sunday morning was the worst morning. There was a problem in the front of the ship. I just used the toilet and I could not flush. The first two calls my husband made to the front desk, the lady said she will send someone. An hour later no one came. The third call a gentleman answered and said that there was a blockage that needed to be cleared first, than only will the toilet work. The lady was clueless!! There is an intercom system. They could have at least informed us.
Buffet area.. Chaos!! We don't eat beef and pork and we didn't have a variety to choose from. As for the seating,there was no order and no space.
Dinner was very disappointing. The food was tasteless and dry. Dessert was the only edible thing we enjoyed. The waiter was unprofessional.
As for breakfast at the restaurant, we were not informed that if we needed something else other than what was for buffet, we could ask the waiter. We saw people walking with eggs made differently, buffet had scramble eggs. When we ask the people, they said you must ask your waiter, he will bring it for you. Our waiter told us that its buffet and if we wanted tea. Thats all!!!
At the jewelry table, on the last night, the people were unfriendly and unprofessional. There was a special, buy 3 watches at a special rate. I chose a rose gold watch set ans held it in my hands. While looking for another two, the gentleman insist that I give him that one while I look. Didn't want to cause a problem, I gave it. After buying everything, he shows me the first box I gave him and puts it in the packet with the rest. Trusting him, we walked away. A few minutes later, sitting at the bar, I opened the package. He gave mw the wrong box. I went back to him. He looked through all the boxes, didn't find the one I chose, doesn't apologize, and says, he doesn't know how it got switched.
My husband and I really didn't enjoy this trip,especially since it was our very first trip on a ship. Not a memorable one!! Read Less

I chose this cruise to celebrate a special occasion being my partners birthday, and the cruise on the MSC Musica seemed the most appropriate for the said dates, I have only read about the Musica via newsletter from travel agents and no ... Read More

I chose this cruise to celebrate a special occasion being my partners birthday, and the cruise on the MSC Musica seemed the most appropriate for the said dates, I have only read about the Musica via newsletter from travel agents and no person in particular and least to say that the ship is beautiful and looks amazing. Unfortunately, I wish I had the same sentiments to share about the staff and the food on board, The staff lacked the warmth and enthusiasm that one can expect as a guest on a beautiful ship. They seemed fed-up so to speak to be there. Most of them looked really tired and the they also displayed a lack of knowledge as to what happens on the ship. I must add that most of my negative comments are related to the cafeteria staff. Furthermore the food was of very low quality and stale. It seemed as though the ship was not fully stocked with fresh produce to provide for the guests, The burgers and hotdogs were dry, the coffee was cold. The day we were out on the island, and got back in the afternoon, there was no food on deck 13 cafeteria. When we asked the staff, they said that "we don't know" or "we don't have". There was a chef making pizzas which were tasteless and dry. That was the disappointment that I have experienced and this being my first cruise does not leave much to be desired again. However, one of the good experiences we had was at dinner time. We had an awesome waiter named SetiaBudi..He was hands on, very attentive and obliging. Our Balcony suite was clean and comfortable and beautiful. So..therefore I have mixed emotions. Read Less

MSC Cruise to Mozambique
We were very excited for our cruise on the MSC Musica from Durban to Pomene mid February 2019. We were diverted last minute to the Portuguese Islands. Having read a couple of posts from various forums and ... Read More

MSC Cruise to Mozambique
We were very excited for our cruise on the MSC Musica from Durban to Pomene mid February 2019. We were diverted last minute to the Portuguese Islands. Having read a couple of posts from various forums and people, I still had some unanswered questions as to what to expect and what to take along. I decided to post some here.
1. Don't buy the water vouchers, it's expensive and water are always available in the buffet area.
2. I regret having bought drinks vouchers.
Despite the 15% saving upfront, I don't think it's worth it. It definitely would've worked out cheaper if we just bought drinks on the ship and charged it to our room. We ended up coming back with bottles of wine and tins of soda not used on the ship (most expensive drinks ever).
3. We spoke to a couple of people who carried on alcohol in their suitcases, doesn't sound like all suitcases are searched....
4. On-boarding was painless and not such a long wait as we expected. No need to pay for priority boarding.
5. Our ship was diverted from Pomene to the Portuguese Islands due to weather conditions. There are lots of shade and fairly comfortable chairs to laze around. No need to book a lounger and umbrella, although it was nice to have a seperate spot where you could sleep. Decide for yourself if $23 per person is worth it (my personal opinion is the exclusive lounger isn't worth it for $10 more).
6. Put lots of sunscreen. If you think you've put enough, just put some more. Motion sickness, sunburn and sunstroke together is a bad combination!
7. You can get complimentary motion sickness tablets on the boat! Just ask at reception.
8. Don't bargain on a captains dinner, we never had one. And your tuxedo / evening wear will come back unused. Dress throughout the cruise was casual, although some people still dressed up every night.
9. The gym is small and very busy! Be there well before they open and prepare yourself to wait for equipment.
10. Shopping (duty free) on board is real. Save up! The perfume was almost 40% cheaper than in South Africa! There are different savings every day on everything from jewelry to perfume to handbags. Read Less

Having cruised on MSC for over 10 years and being a Gold Club member, this cruise was way below the standard I have come to expect. I had hoped that I would have experienced the same hospitality that I experienced since my first experience ... Read More

Having cruised on MSC for over 10 years and being a Gold Club member, this cruise was way below the standard I have come to expect. I had hoped that I would have experienced the same hospitality that I experienced since my first experience on the Melody and not the poor hospitality that we received on the Musica.
1) This was the 2nd year in a row that we had booked a trip to Pomene, only to be told after boarding that we will not be visiting the Island due to poor weather conditions. I do understand that no one has control over the weather, but it really is disappointing that this happened twice. We paid for a trip to Pomene but was not offered any discounts on future bookings or a reduction in the price that we had paid both times.
2) This was the 1st time that we had dinner at the 2nd seating. We had requested 1st seating but was told that it was full. Surely senior citizens should be given priority for 1st seating, just like children are. We were seated at 8:30pm and placed our order by 8:45pm. We were only served dinner at 9:30pm. This took unusually long, something we never experienced previously. Based on this poor service, we did not return to the restaurant for dinner and opted for the buffet for the remainder of the evenings.
3) The public toilets (deck 13) were not cleaned regularly and there was no toilet paper at times.
4) At the hot beverage station, there was very poor service. There was no boiling water available, but only hot water, which is unsuitable to make tea. There was always a shortage of teabags. This was only filled when requested. Hot milk was not always available. Read Less

Was great at the beginning but get boring along the way waiting time are forever and your waiting everywhere of everything. Very very expensive food is the same everyday and has no taste waiting again and again deck's bar area forever ... Read More

Was great at the beginning but get boring along the way waiting time are forever and your waiting everywhere of everything. Very very expensive food is the same everyday and has no taste waiting again and again deck's bar area forever wait for 1 drink. Service on deck very very poor. Details of going to the iland is unclear not usefull. We have enjoyed it but you will not see us very soon again. Entertainment on board was great enjoyed it specially sunday evening. Deck party was great except waiting in ques for a drink. Cabin was awsome aircon very nice bed very comfortable and staff friendly do not open the bar fridge even though its called a fridge it does not keep things cold and very very expensive. Do not buy any medicines on board it will cost you an arm and a leg. Iland was nice we enjoyed it alot Read Less

This was a short cruise with a large group of 25 friends celebrating a wedding. We all booked balcony cabins.
Our cabin was neat and clean. We were booked for dinner in he Oleander restaurant. The maitre d went the extra mile to join ... Read More

This was a short cruise with a large group of 25 friends celebrating a wedding. We all booked balcony cabins.
Our cabin was neat and clean. We were booked for dinner in he Oleander restaurant. The maitre d went the extra mile to join our group together into 2 large tables.
Our waiter Juri was excellent and full of jokes and smiles.
There was a variety of cuisine available but we felt that compared to other MSC cruise experiences the food fell short of our previous experiences.
Pizza bar was always well stocked.
Bar staff were friendly and quick.
Pool area was clean and plenty of seating.
The entertainment in the theatre was also disappointing compared to previous experiences.
All in all it was a good cruise. Lots to do and experience.
We enjoyed BINGO and game shows. Variety of live music for every taste of music. Well worth every cent. Read Less

The cruise was terible and i will never do it again.
The quing to borde is abselutely rediculous, more than tree hours standing in cues after sitting in the car in the hot sun for an hour waiting to enter the long term parking.
My ... Read More

The cruise was terible and i will never do it again.
The quing to borde is abselutely rediculous, more than tree hours standing in cues after sitting in the car in the hot sun for an hour waiting to enter the long term parking.
My first cruise was abselutely out of this world on the Melody, where we were treated like guests and not herded like animals.
This been my third cruise now and progresevley getting worse with MSC trying to cram more and more guests onto thair ships.
We could not get seating or lounging on the deks around the pools, you can not find seating when useing the eating areas at lunch time and when going to shore there is not enough seeting areas under shade.
We ordered the champaign and chocklets for the duration and only received the champaign.
For an Italian ship your Pizas are also terible, its become all about just getting the masses through in order to make the best proffit possible.
A four night cruise only gives you three days as your first day is spent cueing to bourd and your last to disembark.
I know these serveys do not make a diference but i have to give my views. Read Less

I guess we came in the cruise with high expectations received from marketing material...
There was a lack of communication on activity changes due to weather and venue changes...it took time finding the disco and the music was poor ... Read More

I guess we came in the cruise with high expectations received from marketing material...
There was a lack of communication on activity changes due to weather and venue changes...it took time finding the disco and the music was poor until the last night...the music was not catering for all cultures. Concideration should be taken that people are on the cruise as a mini break and not forced to retire early as the disco venue lights go on, forcing people to depart to their rooms.
Deck: not enough shadding areas for relaxing on the top decks as the pool areas are always full... Seating areas was always dirty and having to sit with previous mess from the guest before.
Maybe Msc can concider another day at the beach instead of leaving the same night or even a night beach party would be awesome.
Overall was a wonderful new experience, I can tick off my bucket list... Next cruise would be to take the kids on as well they have great entertainment activities for them... Read Less

Was on a birthday cruise with my husband.
Compared to the MSC Rhapsody, Sinphonia, Opera, the Musica was a bit of a disappointment. Although its a big ship, it did not compare favorably with the other smaller ships. It was not as ... Read More

Was on a birthday cruise with my husband.
Compared to the MSC Rhapsody, Sinphonia, Opera, the Musica was a bit of a disappointment. Although its a big ship, it did not compare favorably with the other smaller ships. It was not as friendly.
Staff were a lot more impersonal; food selection was a lot to be desired. Too much of the same and not enough variety, including with the fruits. Menus seemed to repeat. Even the inside restaurants had "poor" menus that lacked immagination in the food department. Waiters here were very good, whereas the outside (top deck) were very loud with each other and took a long time to clear tables.
When were had to share our table with others, we were not asked, but told. e did not mind sharing, it was just the attitude and tone of voice of the waiter.
The only exclusive restaurant was the sushi, which we do not like. Surely there could have been a better selection!!!!
Our cabin, although nice, still had sand on the carpet from the previous occupants, throughout our cruise. Our sheets seemed as if they were just straightened out every day.
The toilet in our cabin always had a weird "toilet" smell.
Luckily, we had very good weather, so.... no sea-sickness....
I was happy to receive a Birthday Card from MSC, although it came a day late, but thanks. Read Less

Did this cruise with family as a bonding experience. In total we had booked 4 cabins.The facilities on board and entertainment were excellent. Only MAJOR negative is the quality of meals - and layout is insensitive to vegetarians. The sit ... Read More

Did this cruise with family as a bonding experience. In total we had booked 4 cabins.The facilities on board and entertainment were excellent. Only MAJOR negative is the quality of meals - and layout is insensitive to vegetarians. The sit in restaurants normally only have 1 vegetarian meal option - so you have no choice. The buffet section has various stations (like Mediterranean, Halaal etc) - but no dedicated station for vegetarian / vegan meals. Although they have some vegetarian meals in the buffet section, there are placed with the non-vegetarian meals, making it very easy for contamination. Labelling of the meals is also very haphazard. There were many instances where the labels at the meals showed no meat products but when consuming the meals it became evident that meat was included in the meal, but omitted from the labelling. Disappointing is that when we confirmed with the staff they insist it does not contain meat products. In one instance the soup was labelled "Broccoli Soup" - my son and I, both vegetarians took the soup and as we were eating it became apparent that the soup contained chicken. I queried with the Manager - and on investigation he reported that the soup was in fact chicken and peas but labelled wrongly. Read Less

Cruise was enjoyable.
Cabin was good and neat. Not filled up with soap and toiletpaper everyday Had to ask for it.
Compared to previous cruises the general service was not up to standard as on the Sinfonia and Opera.
The layout ... Read More

Cruise was enjoyable.
Cabin was good and neat. Not filled up with soap and toiletpaper everyday Had to ask for it.
Compared to previous cruises the general service was not up to standard as on the Sinfonia and Opera.
The layout for Sinfonia and Opera is much better than the Musica.
Smoking areas should be restricted unpleasant for non smokers
The dining areas was over crowded and we had to search for a table everytime, sometimes we walked with a plate of food three times through the restaurant to find a table. Family of 5 coul not even get a table together at all meals. Attention should be given to allocate passangers to different venues and times for all meals to prevent overcrowding and lack of tables to sit at.
The Vouyager club counter was never open despite hours displayed when it will be open. Went there every day found nobody at the counter. Nobody could give me information for future cruises for 2019/2020.
This was my fourth cruise with MSC not as good as the previous three cruises Read Less

The disembarkion was very bad the ports people explained nothing the ships people said nothing about loosing a whole day at the port and embarking. We lost stop at one port no explanation and it was explained. Ship was great entertainment ... Read More

The disembarkion was very bad the ports people explained nothing the ships people said nothing about loosing a whole day at the port and embarking. We lost stop at one port no explanation and it was explained. Ship was great entertainment for kids was great. Drinks on the deck was watered down compared to the rest of the ship. Services in reception was chaos. So out to 4 days I only enjoyed 2 cause bording was bad and reception took up the last day. As for the food in the restaurant was something to serve for people with high blood and sugar. The buffet on floor 13 was a repetition and the longer we where on the boat the the breakfast sausage and bacon got the ship couldn't cope with the amount of people o think. I really expected WOW AND THIS TRIP WAS NOT ESPECIALLY THE FOR MY HARD EARNED MONEY!!! Read Less

I did explore the cities before the cruise, embarkation and disembarkation went very well. I went to the cruise before so was familiar with the other things but the levels are upper than before, ship everything is so clean, the staff ... Read More

I did explore the cities before the cruise, embarkation and disembarkation went very well. I went to the cruise before so was familiar with the other things but the levels are upper than before, ship everything is so clean, the staff members do have respect to the guests, the cabin I was not expecting it, for me the cabin was the lowlight it was a 4 sleeper the cabin was too small for 4 people there was no space in the cabin, the top beds were so uncomfortable. Dining everything was ace, entertainment and activities oh that one was on top, service was excellent. Excursions the trip was going to Pomene and Portuguese Island but we ended up not going to Pomene nobody inform us about the changes we only went to Portuguese Island so for me that one was a lowlight maybe if they did inform that would be better because I went to this trip because of Pomene because I never went to Pomene before if I knew that we will only do Portuguese Island I wouldn’t go on this trip. I was traveling with my friends and I think that was last my trip but not sure. Read Less